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Practice Of Real EstateFair_housingHARD

A Michigan property management company manages a 40-unit apartment complex on behalf of an owner who is not a licensed real estate professional. The owner instructs the property manager to reject applicants who are over 250 pounds. The property manager follows the instruction and rejects a qualified applicant who weighs 260 pounds. Under the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which of the following is most accurate?

Correct Answer

D) Both the owner and the property manager may be liable because weight is a protected class under the Elliott-Larsen Act and following discriminatory instructions does not shield the property manager from liability

Under the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (MCL 37.2502), weight is an explicitly protected class in housing. Both the owner who issued the discriminatory instruction and the property manager who carried it out may be held liable. In fair housing law, following a discriminatory instruction from a principal does not insulate an agent from liability. The property manager had an obligation to refuse the discriminatory directive, just as a licensed real estate salesperson must refuse unlawful instructions from a broker or seller.

Answer Options
A
Neither party is liable because the rejection was based on a neutral physical characteristic, not a protected class under Michigan law
B
Only the owner is liable for the violation because the property manager was following lawful instructions from the principal
C
Only the property manager is liable because licensed professionals are solely responsible for discriminatory acts they carry out
D
Both the owner and the property manager may be liable because weight is a protected class under the Elliott-Larsen Act and following discriminatory instructions does not shield the property manager from liability

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

elliott_larsenweight_protectionproperty_manager_liabilitymichigan_specificcomplex_reasoning

Related Concepts

License requirements are the mandatory qualifications—including pre-licensing education, examination, and background checks—that a person must satisfy before legally practicing real estate. These requirements are established and enforced by each state's real estate commission.

Market allocation is an illegal antitrust practice in which competing real estate brokerages agree to divide markets among themselves by geographic area, property type, or price range, thereby eliminating competition.

Price fixing is an illegal antitrust practice in which competing real estate brokerages agree to charge the same commission rates, fees, or other pricing for their services. It is a per se violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

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